2. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 2
INTRODUCTION TO ISTQBĀ®
1 Introduction to ISTQBĀ®
2
Exams
3
Benefits
4
Syllabi
5 ISTQBĀ®: Worldwide Footprint
6 ISTQBĀ® Partner Program
7 Special Initiatives
8 ISTQBĀ® Next Steps
9 Contacts
3. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 3
ā¢ ISTQBĀ®: International Software Testing Qualifications Board
(www.istqb.org):
ā Non-profit association
ā Founded in 2002
ā Headquartered in Belgium
ā Has its own constitution, rules and regulations
ā Composed of volunteer international Testing Experts
ā Responsible for the āISTQBĀ® Certified Testerā scheme worldwide
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® is the worldās leading organization for Software Testing Certification
WHAT IS THE ISTQBĀ®?
Advancing
the software testing profession
4. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 4
ISTQBĀ® VIDEOS
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® Videos give you insights into the ISTQBĀ® Certified Tester scheme
http://www.istqb.org/introduction-to-istqb.html
5. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 5
āTo continually improve and advance
the software testing profession by:
Defining and maintaining a Body of Knowledge
which allows testers to be certified based on best practices,
connecting the international software testing community,
and encouraging research.ā
ISTQBĀ® VISION
6. 6ISTQBĀ® - February 2015
ISTQBĀ® MISSION
1) We promote the value of software testing as a
profession to individuals and organizations.
2) We help software testers to be more efficient and
effective in their work, through the certification of
competencies.
3) We enable testers to progress their career through a
Professionalsā Code of Ethics and a multi-level
certification pathway that provides them with the skills
and knowledge they need to fulfil their growing
responsibilities and to achieve increased
professionalism.
4) We continually advance the Testing Body of Knowledge
by drawing on the best available industry practices and
the most innovative research, and we make this
knowledge freely available to all.
5) We set the criteria for accrediting training providers, to
ensure consistent delivery of the Body of Knowledge,
worldwide.
7. 7ISTQBĀ® - February 2015
ISTQBĀ® MISSION
6) We regulate the content and coverage of exam
questions, the examination process, and the issuing of
certifications by official examination bodies.
7) We are committed to expanding software testing
certifications around the world, by admitting member
boards into the ISTQBĀ®. These boards adhere to the
constitution, bylaws, and processes defined by the
ISTQBĀ®, and participate in regular audits.
8) We nurture an open international community,
committed to sharing knowledge, ideas, and
innovations in software testing.
9) We foster relationships with academia, government,
media, professional associations and other interested
parties.
10) We provide a reference point against which the
effectiveness of testing services can be evaluated, by
maintaining our prominence as a respected source of
knowledge in software testing.
12. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 12
BENEFITS
1 Introduction to ISTQBĀ®
2
Exams
3
Benefits
4
Syllabi
5 ISTQBĀ®: Worldwide Footprint
6 ISTQBĀ® Partner Program
7 Special Initiatives
8 ISTQBĀ® Next Steps
9 Contacts
13. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 13
ā¢ Software engineering and software project management are complex
activities. Both software development and software management have dozens
of methodologies and scores of tools available that are beneficial. In addition,
there are quite a few methods and practices that have been shown to be
harmful.
ā¢ In order to evaluate the effectiveness or harm of various methods and
practices Capers Jones has developed a scoring method.
ā¢ The data for the scoring comes from observations among about 150 Fortune
500 companies, some 400 smaller companies, and 30 government
organizations. Negative scores also include data from 15 lawsuits. The
rankings are based on about 20,000 projects that span 50 industries and 24
countries.
ā¢ The analysis is based on the authorās book Software Engineering Best
Practices published by McGraw Hill in 2010. Some new data is taken from
The Economics of Software Quality published by Addison Wesley in 2012.
This version is current through mid-2014.
INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY OF SW PROJECTS
ISTQBĀ® CERTIFICATION CAN HELP
14. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 14
ā¢ In the following some factors related to testing are presented, with their impact
in terms of reduction or increase in project work hours wrt to projects
consisting of traditional application development methods such as āwaterfallā
development performed by organizations that do not have apply systematically
sound software engineering practices
INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY OF SW PROJECTS
ISTQBĀ® CERTIFICATION CAN HELP
Factor Impact on productivity
Experienced test teams 12% Improvement
Testing by certified test personnel 7% Improvement
Testing by developers only 6% Worsening
Informal test case design 8% Worsening
Inexperienced test teams 15% Worsening
Truncating testing to "meet schedule" 45% Worsening
(Capers Jones, Scoring and evaluating software methods,
practices, and results, version 15.0, September 6, 2014)
15. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 15
ā¢ Technavio, an independent technology research and advisory company,
analyzed the key challenges faced by the Global Software Testing Services
market, highlighting in particular the āShortage of Skilled Laborā
ā¢ The Global Pure Play Software Testing Services market is growing
rapidly, thus increasing the demand for skilled labor. However, this
has created a disparity in supply and demand, as a result of which,
sourcing and retaining skilled labor has become a challenge.
ā¢ The shortage of availability of required skills is now becoming a
major challenge for the software testing organizations.
SOURCING SKILLED PROFESSIONALS
ISTQBĀ® CERTIFICATION CAN HELP
Since the current educational system is not geared up to the
required standards and demands of the market, this challenge is
expected to have a bigger impact on the market in the future.
(Global Software Testing Services Market 2011-2015, Technavio)
16. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 16
ā¢ As part of its commitment to continuous improvement and the advancement
of the software testing profession, in 2013 ISTQBĀ® conducted an
international online survey for test engineers and managers.
ā¢ The survey was open from June to September 2013 and several thousand
responses were received from almost 70 countries; in particular,
respondents were:
ā 2855 test engineers
ā 779 test managers
ISTBQĀ® EFFECTIVENESS SURVEY
ā¢ In the remainder of this
presentation, references will be
made to some key results of the
survey
ā¢ The full report is available for free
download from the ISTQB Ā® Web
Site
A new survey will be conducted in early 2016
17. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 17
ā¢ International recognition of acquired competencies
and skills
ā¢ Authorized to use the āCertified Testerā logo
(specifying the level of certification)
ā¢ Whole of career path support, from Foundation to
Expert level
ā¢ Higher appeal in the labor market
BENEFITS FOR PROFESSIONALS
18. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 18
BENEFITS FOR PROFESSIONALS - SURVEY
ā¢ Would you recommend the ISTQBĀ® Foundation Level (CTFL) certification
to your colleagues?
19. 19ISTQBĀ® - February 2015
BENEFITS FOR COMPANIES
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® certification can provide a competitive
advantage for companies, promising a higher level of
reliability of the applications being developed due to
efficient and cost effective testing practices derived
from the ISTQBĀ® competencies
ā¢ Consulting companies with certified staff can offer
higher-level services to customers, increasing
revenues and brand value
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® has defined a āPartner Programā for
companies that engage a large number of certified
testers
20. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 20
BENEFITS FOR COMPANIES - SURVEY
ā¢ As a Test Manager, what percentage of your testing staff would you like to
see certified at the ISTQBĀ® Foundation Level?
21. 21ISTQBĀ® - February 2015
BENEFITS FOR ATPs
(Accredited Training Providers)
ā¢ Educational institutions and consulting companies
may become an ISTQBĀ® Accredited Trainer Provider
(ATP) according to processes and rules defined at the
international level
ā¢ Accredited Training Providers ensure a high standing
of training is delivered through having:
ā¢ certified trainers
ā¢ the content, quality and syllabus coverage of
training materials checked by ISTQBĀ® Boards
ā¢ advance notice of changes to the ISTQBĀ®
Glossary and syllabi
ā¢ Accredited Training Providers are entitled to use
relevant logos and are listed in the ISTQBĀ® Website
22. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 22
BENEFITS FOR ATPs - SURVEY
ā¢ How significant do you think the training was in your certification success?
23. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 23
ā¢ Eurostar, one of the major testing conferences, has
conducted a survey involving 631 professional software
testers and testing team leads or testing and quality
assurance managers from major companies across
Europe
ā¢ Report: āPractices & Attitudes in Software Testing (PAST)
Studyā ā EUROSTAR Sw Testing Report 2014
ā¢ In accordance to the survey, 85% of the respondents
have an ISTQBĀ® Foundation certificate and 26% have
also an ISTQBĀ® Advanced certification
ISTBQĀ® ADOPTION
AMONG TEST PROFESSIONALS
24. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 24
The same
survey shows
that the value
of certifications
is perceived to
be high
SW TESTING CERTIFICATION VALUE
25. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 25
1 Introduction to ISTQBĀ®
2
Exams
3
Benefits
4
Syllabi
5 ISTQBĀ®: Worldwide Footprint
6 ISTQBĀ® Partner Program
7 Special Initiatives
8 ISTQBĀ® Next Steps
9 Contacts
SYLLABI
26. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 26
SYLLABI: GENERAL INTRODUCTION
3 Syllabi and Extensions
3.1 General Introduction
3.2 Foundation Level
3.3 Agile Tester
3.4 Advanced Level
3.5 Expert Level
27. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 27
ISTQBĀ® SYLLABI AND GLOSSARY
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® has defined three levels of syllabi:
ļ Foundation
ļ Advanced (Test Manager, Test Analyst, Technical Test Analyst)
ļ Expert (Improving the Testing Process, Test Management, Test
Automation Engineering, Security Testing, etc.)
ā¢ Syllabi are publicly available for download from the ISTQBĀ® Website
(http://www.istqb.org/downloads.html)
ā¢ Syllabi are written by testing experts and continuously reviewed and
improved
ā¢ Terms used in the ISTQBĀ® syllabi are defined in the ISTQBĀ® Glossary
(http://www.istqb.org/downloads/viewcategory/20.html)
ā¢ Syllabi and Glossary are translated in many languages by the ISTQBĀ®
Member Boards; please refer to their Websites to download free-of-charge
the documents translated into local languages
31. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 31
BENEFITS FOR TEST ENGINEERS - SURVEY
ā¢ As a Test Engineer, what was your motivation in obtaining your ISTQBĀ®
CTFL certification?
32. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 32
BENEFITS FOR TEST MANAGERS - SURVEY
ā¢ As a Test Manager, what was your motivation to have your employees
achieve ISTQBĀ® Foundation Level (CTFL) certification?
33. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 33
SYLLABI: AGILE TESTER
3 Syllabi and Extensions
3.1 General Introduction
3.2 Foundation Level
3.3 Agile Tester
3.4 Advanced Level
3.5 Expert Level
34. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 34
ā¢ In order to satisfy the increasing demand for vertical testing competences,
ISTQBĀ® has introduced the concept of āExtensionā
ā¢ An āExtensionā is a training and certification module focused on a specific
topic, for instance:
ā Domain-specific testing practices
ā Specific Testing Techniques
ā Specific Testing Methods
ā¢ The ISTQBĀ® Foundation Level Certification is a pre-requisite
ā¢ The first extension is focused on āAgile Testerā, released in June 2014
ā¢ MBT (Model-Based Testing) extension is also in road-map
ISTQBĀ® EXTENSIONS
35. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 35
FOUNDATION LEVEL AGILE TESTER - SURVEY
ā¢ Would you be interested in Agile Tester certification?
36. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 36
ā¢ Agile testers should:
ā Collaborate in an agile team, being familiar with agile principles and
practices
ā Adapt existing testing experience, knowledge, and best practices
ā Support the agile team in planning test related activities
ā Apply relevant test methods and techniques
ā Assist in test automation
ā Help business stakeholders define understandable and testable user
stories and acceptance criteria
ā Work and share information with other team members
ā¢ An ISTQBĀ® Agile Tester should work effectively within an agile team and
environment
THE CONTRIBUTION OF AGILE TESTERS
38. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 38
ā¢ The fundamentals of agile software development
ā Recall the basic concept of agile based on the Agile Manifesto
ā Understand the advantages of the whole-team approach
ā Understand the benefits of early and frequent feedback
ā¢ Aspects of agile approaches
ā Recall agile software development approaches
ā Write user stories in collaboration with development, business
representative and product owner
ā Understand how retrospectives can be used as a mechanism for
process improvement in agile projects
ā Understand the use and purpose of continuous integration
ā Know the differences between iteration and release planning, and how a
tester adds value to each of activity
LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF CHAPTER 1
39. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 39
ā¢ Differences between testing in traditional and agile approaches
ā Describe the differences between testing activities in agile projects and
non-agile projects
ā Describe how coding and testing activities are integrated in agile
ā Describe the role of independent testing in agile projects
ā¢ Status of testing in agile projects
ā Describe the basic set of work products used to communicate the status
of testing in an agile project, including test progress and product quality
ā Describe the process of evolving tests across multiple iterations and
explain why test automation is important to manage regression risk in
agile projects
ā¢ Role and skills of a tester in an agile team
ā Understand the skills of a tester in an agile team
ā Understand the role of a tester within an agile team
LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF CHAPTER 2
40. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 40
ā¢ Agile testing methods
ā Recall the concepts of test driven development, acceptance test driven
development and behavior driven development
ā Recall the concepts of the test pyramid
ā Summarize the testing quadrants and their relationships with testing
levels and testing types
ā For a given agile project, practice the role of a tester in Scrum team
ā¢ Assessing quality risks and estimating test effort
ā Assess product quality risks within an agile project
ā Estimate testing effort based on iteration content and product quality
risks
LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF CHAPTER 3 (1)
41. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 41
ā¢ Techniques in agile projects
ā Interpret relevant information to support testing activities
ā Explain to business stakeholders how to define testable acceptance
criteria
ā Given a user story, write acceptance test driven development test cases
ā Write test cases, for both functional and non-functional aspects, using
black box test design techniques based on given user stories
ā Execute exploratory testing to support the testing of an agile project
ā¢ Tools in agile projects
ā Recall different tools available to testers according to their purpose and
to the activities in agile projects
LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF CHAPTER 3 (2)
42. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 42
ā¢ The target professionals are:
ā Testers experienced with traditional SDLCs
ā Entry-level testers with an interest in agile testing
ā Experienced developers with a lot to a little knowledge of testing who
work in agile projects
ā¢ Roles include testers, test analysts, test engineers, test consultants, test
managers, user acceptance testers, software developers
ā¢ The ISTQBĀ® Foundation certificate is a pre-requisite
IS THE AGILE EXTENSION FOR YOU?
43. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 43
SYLLABI: ADVANCED LEVEL
3 Syllabi and Extensions
3.1 General Introduction
3.2 Foundation Level
3.3 Agile Tester
3.4 Advanced Level
3.5 Expert Level
44. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 44
ADVANCED LEVEL - SURVEY
ā¢ How important do you think it is to obtain the ISTQBĀ® Advanced Level
(CTAL) certification?
45. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 45
ISTQBĀ® ADVANCED LEVEL
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® Advanced Level is composed of three independent modules:
ā Test Manager (AL-TM)
ā Test Analyst (AL-TA)
ā Technical Test Analyst (AL-TTA)
ā¢ The ISTQBĀ® Foundation Level Certification is a pre-requisite for all of them
ā¢ When achieving all the three Advanced Modules, a āFull Advancedā
certificate is issued
48. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 48
ISTQBĀ® ADVANCED LEVEL
TECHNICAL TEST ANALYST (AL ā TTA)
49. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 49
SYLLABI: EXPERT LEVEL
3 Syllabi and Extensions
3.1 General Introduction
3.2 Foundation Level
3.3 Agile Tester
3.4 Advanced Level
3.5 Expert Level
50. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 50
ISTQBĀ® EXPERT LEVEL
ā¢ For ISTQBĀ®, Expert really means Expert
ā āA person with the special skills and knowledge representing mastery of
a particular testing subject.
ā Being an expert means possessing and displaying special skills and
knowledge derived from training and experience.ā
ā¢ Clearly stated expectations and business outcomes are established for
each subject covered at Expert Level
51. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 51
EXPERT LEVEL - SURVEY
ā¢ Do you plan to obtain an ISTQBĀ® Expert level certification in next 3 years?
52. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 52
STATUS OF EXPERT LEVEL SYLLABI
ISTQBĀ®
Expert Level
Syllabi
ļ§ Improving the Testing Process
ļ§ Test Management
ļ§ Test Automation Engineering
ļ§ Security Testing
Module:
ļ§ Released for public availability (June 2010)
ļ§ Released for public availability (June 2011)
ļ§ Released for public availability (July 2014)
ļ§ In development (Planned for 2015)
Status:
53. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 53
PRE-REQUISITES FOR EXPERT LEVEL
In the following, pre-conditions allowing to take Expert Level exams are shown:
54. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 54
ā¢ The Expert Module āTest Managementā is composed of three parts:
ļ Strategic Test Management
ļ Operational Test Management
ļ Managing the Test Team
ISTQBĀ® EXPERT LEVEL
TEST MANAGEMENT
TEST MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIC TEST
MANAGEMENT
OPERATIONAL TEST
MANAGEMENT
MANAGING THE
TEST TEAM
55. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 55
ISTQBĀ® EXPERT LEVEL
STRATEGIC TEST MANAGEMENT
56. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 56
ISTQBĀ® EXPERT LEVEL
OPERATIONAL TEST MANAGEMENT
58. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 58
ā¢ The Expert Module āImproving the Testing Processā is composed of two
parts:
ļ Assessing Test Processes
ļ Implementing Test Process Improvement
ISTQBĀ® EXPERT LEVEL
IMPROVING THE TESTING PROCESS
IMPROVING THE TESTING PROCESS
ASSESSING TEST PROCESSES
IMPLEMENTING TEST PROCESS
IMPROVEMENT
59. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 59
ISTQBĀ® EXPERT LEVEL
ASSESSING TEST PROCESSES
60. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 60
ISTQBĀ® EXPERT LEVEL
IMPLEMENTING TEST PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
61. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 61
ISTQBĀ® EXPERT LEVEL
TEST AUTOMATION ENGINEERING
62. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 62
EXAMS
1 Introduction to ISTQBĀ®
2
Exams
3
Benefits
4
Syllabi
5 ISTQBĀ®: Worldwide Footprint
6 ISTQBĀ® Partner Program
7 Special Initiatives
8 ISTQBĀ® Next Steps
9 Contacts
63. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 63
ā¢ The exam is based on multiple-choice questions for Foundation and Advanced Levels
ā¢ For Expert Level, an essay is also required
ā¢ Exams can be attempted also without having attended a training course (e.g. through
self-study)
EXAMS
64. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 64
EXAM RELIABILITY - SURVEY
ā¢ To what extent do you feel the ISTQBĀ® Foundation Level certification exam
reflects the knowledge of the candidates?
More than 70% of respondents regard the ISTQBĀ® Foundation Level
certification exam as fully or exceedingly reliable and these results are
consistent throughout the world; only 6% found the exam not very reliable
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Exceedingly well Well Partially well Not very well
Test Engineers
Test Managers
65. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 65
EXAMS QUESTIONS AND LENGTH
MODULE
NUMBER OF
QUESTIONS
EXAM LENGTH
(IN MINUTES)
EXAM LENGTH
FOR NON NATIVE
LANGUAGE
FOUNDATION 40 60 75
AGILE TESTER 40 60 75
ADVANCED TEST
MANAGER
65 180 225
ADVANCED TEST
ANALYST
60 180 225
ADVANCED TECHNICAL
TEST ANALYST
45 120 150
66. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 66
ā¢ Questions are classified according to the cognitive level, the K-level
(also known as level of knowledge):
ā¢ K1 = Remember (recognize a term or concept)
ā¢ K2 = Understand (able to explain a concept)
ā¢ K3 = Apply (select correct application of concept or technique)
ā¢ K4 = Analyze (can distinguish between facts and inferences for deeper
understanding)
ā¢ K5 = Evaluate (can make judgments based on criteria and standards)
ā¢ K6 = Create (can put elements together to form a coherent or functional whole)
ā¢ The number of questions for each topic is related to the length of the
topic in the syllabus
ā¢ For more details, see the FAQ section in the ISTQBĀ® Website
EXAM QUESTIONS ā K LEVELS
67. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 67
CRITERIA TO ACHIEVE EXPERT LEVEL
The
Exam
Recommended :
ļ§ At least 7 years of practical
testing experience
ļ§ Completion of Expert Level
course
Mandatory:
ļ§ ISTQBĀ® Foundation
ļ§ ISTQBĀ® Advanced (depending
on Expert Level module)
ļ§ Completion of Expert Level
course (if a non-public exam is
taken)
Entry criteria
ļ§ Exam passed (65%)
ļ§ Experience levels (may be
achieved before or after
passing the exam)
ļ At least 5 years of practical
testing experience
ļ At least 2 years of industry
experience in the specific
Expert Level topic
Exit criteria
68. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 68
EXPERT LEVEL EXAM
ļ§ A certification scheme at Expert Level must meet the expectations and perceptions of its
stakeholders and has to be seen to be truly āexpertā.
ļ§ The exam therefore consists of a multiple-choice section and a written āessayā section
ļ§ A score of 65% and above is required to pass
The exam
ļ§ Duration: 1 Hour
ļ§ 25 Questions
ļ§ Learning objectives covered:
K2, K3, K4 (like in Advanced Level)
Multiple-Choice section
ļ§ Duration:
ļ Reading: Ā½ hour
ļ Answering: 2 hours
ļ Add Ā¾ hour for non-native speakers
ļ§ Answer 4 questions out of 5
ļ§ Learning objectives covered:
Mostly higher learning objectives
(K5,K6)
Essay section
69. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 69
MAINTAINING EXPERT LEVEL CERTIFICATION
ļ§ An Expert Level certificate is valid for 5 years
ļ§ Expert certification must be renewed using one of the following two options
Expert certification is not for life
ļ§ A passed
exam results
in certification
for a further 5
years
Repeat the exam
ļ§ CECs may be achieved in a number of areas. For example:
ļ Perform a professional testing activity
ļ Take a relevant training course
ļ Attend a testing conference
ļ Present at a testing conference
ļ Teaching a relevant training course
ļ Write a testing article or book
ļ Actively participate in a Working Group (ISTQBĀ® Member
Boards, SIGIST, ā¦.)
ļ§ Verifiable evidence must be submitted to the certifier
ļ§ The Certification Extension Program is published by ISTQBĀ®
Achieve 200 āCertification Extension Creditsā (CEC)
70. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 70
ISTQBĀ®: WORLDWIDE FOOTPRINT
1 Introduction to ISTQBĀ®
2
Exams
3
Benefits
4
Syllabi
5 ISTQBĀ®: Worldwide Footprint
6 ISTQBĀ® Partner Program
7 Special Initiatives
8 ISTQBĀ® Next Steps
9 Contacts
71. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 71
1998 ISEB (Information Systems Examinations Board, part of the British Computer Society) develops the
Certified Tester Syllabus. The first Software Testers are certified in 1998
2002 The ISTQBĀ® (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) is founded by 8 member boards:
Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and UK
2003 The syllabus for the āAdvanced Levelā is completed
2004 First exams for āISTQBĀ® Certified Tester Advanced Levelā are released
2006 The number of member boards grows steadily
2007 The Foundation and Advanced Syllabi are enhanced
2009 The number of Member Boards climbs further
The number of certifications reaches 100,000
2010 BCS withdraws the ISEB Test Practitioner scheme in favor of ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level.
The first āExpert Levelā syllabus is released
2011 The number of certifications exceeds 200,000 globally
Issue of additional Expert Level Syllabi
2012 New version of the Advanced Level syllabus and Glossary Testing of Terms; Activation of the āISTQBĀ®
Partner Programā; Activation of the āISTQBĀ® Conference Networkā; Activation of the āISTQBĀ®
Recognized Mobile appā program; Launch of the āISTQBĀ® international Software Testing Excellence
Awardā
2013 The number of certifications exceeds 300,000 globally
2014 Agile Tester Foundation Extension Syllabus is made available
Expert Level Test Automation Engineering Syllabus is made available
ISTQBĀ® - THE EVOLUTION
72. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 72
WORLD-WIDE COVERAGE
ļ§ Countries covered by Member Boards (49 Member Boards covering 72 countries, representing
over 90% of the world-wide GDP) and Global Exam Providers
ļ§ Countries covered by Global Exam Providers
The list of Member Boards and Global Exam Providers is available on the ISTQBĀ® Web Site
73. 73ISTQBĀ® - February 2015
FOOTPRINT ā NUMBER OF CERTIFICATIONS
ā¢ As of June 2014 the number of certifications issued is
close to 354,000 with more than 12,000 new
certifications being issued per quarter
ā¢ Among the technology-independent certifications
schemes, ISTQBĀ® is the third largest in the IT
industry in terms of number of people certified
(exceeded only by PMI and ITIL)
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® is the largest testing certification scheme in
the World and has become an International de-facto
reference on recommended testing practices
75. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 75
ā¢ The distribution of Certificates issued by ISTQBĀ® as of June 2014 is as follows:
FOOTPRINT
NUMBER OF CERTIFICATIONS
LEVEL CERTIFICATES
Foundation Level 318.645
Advanced Level ā Test Manager 16.625
Advanced Level ā Test Analyst 10.726
Advanced Level ā Technical Test
Analyst
5.135
Full Advanced 2.615
TOTAL 353.746
78. 78ISTQBĀ® - February 2015
ACCREDITED TRANING PROVIDERS
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® has a large number of
Accredited Training Providers (ATPs)
worldwide
ā¢ As of August 2014 there were:
ļ§ 250+ ATPs for Foundation Level
ļ§ 100+ ATPs for Advanced Level
ļ§ 2 ATPs for Expert Level
ā¢ The list of Accredited Training Providers
is available on the ISTQBĀ® Web Site
79. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 79
ISTQBĀ® PARTNER PROGRAM
1 Introduction to ISTQBĀ®
2
Exams
3
Benefits
4
Syllabi
5 ISTQBĀ®: Worldwide Footprint
6 ISTQBĀ® Partner Program
7 Special Initiatives
8 ISTQBĀ® Next Steps
9 Contacts
80. 80ISTQBĀ® - February 2015
Provides recognition to
Companies
that are investing in the
ISTQBĀ® scheme
As of December 2014 ISTQBĀ® has
83 Partners
ISTQBĀ® PARTNER PROGRAM
81. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 81
The main benefits of the ISTQBĀ® Partner Program are:
ā¢ International visibility of the partnership status through exposure on
the ISTQBĀ® Website
ā¢ Access to ISTQBĀ® Conference Network events with exclusive
benefits
ā¢ Access to the alpha versions of new syllabi, with the opportunity to
contribute to their review
ā¢ Local benefits provided by Member Boards and Exam Providers
BENEFITS FOR PARTNERS
82. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 82
ā¢ Companies can become ISTQBĀ® Partners if they have a significant number
of employees or external consultants working for them who have passed
ISTQBĀ® certification exams.
ā¢ The Program comprises four levels of partnership, each with a different
eligibility threshold:
ā Silver: 5 Points
ā Gold: 14 Points
ā Platinum: 30 Points
ā Global: a minimum of 1 Platinum Partnership and 2 Gold Partnerships
in at least 2 different countries.
ELIGIBILITY POINTS AND THRESHOLDS
83. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 83
ā¢ The partnership level of an organization is determined by the number of
certification points it has accumulated:
ā Foundation certification = + 1 point
ā Foundation extension = + 1 point
ā Advanced certification = + 3 points (for each advanced level certification module
achieved)
ā Expert certification = + 5 points (for each expert level certification module
achieved)
ā¢ Other criteria are the following:
ā GOLD partnership needs at least 1 ADVANCED Level certification
ā PLATINUM partnership needs at least 3 ADVANCED Level certifications
ELIGIBILITY POINTS AND THRESHOLDS
84. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 84
ā¢ As of December 2014, ISTQBĀ® Partnership has been achieved by 83 Companies:
ļ¼ 1 Company at GLOBAL Level
ļ¼ 29 Companies at PLATINUM Level
ļ¼ 29 Companies at GOLD Level
ļ¼ 24 Companies at SILVER Level
ISTQBĀ® PARTNERS
More information at: www.istqb.org/partner
85. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 85
SPECIAL INITIATIVES
1 Introduction to ISTQBĀ®
2
Exams
3
Benefits
4
Syllabi
5 ISTQBĀ®: Worldwide Footprint
6 ISTQBĀ® Partner Program
7 Special Initiatives
8 ISTQBĀ® Next Steps
9 Contacts
86. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 86
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® promotes the āISTQBĀ® International Software Testing Excellence
Awardā, an annual prize given to somebody who has made an outstanding
contribution to the field of software quality, through professional practice,
innovation, or research
ā¢ Anyone can nominate a potential winner of the "ISTQBĀ® International
Software Testing Excellence Awardā by filling in the Nomination Form
available on the ISTQBĀ® website
ISTQBĀ® AWARD
87. 87ISTQBĀ® - February 2015
ā¢ The winner of the Award is selected for having
contributed to:
ā Increasing public awareness for the importance of
software quality and testing
ā Publishing research findings in the field of
software quality and testing
ā Promoting further education in software quality
and testing
ā Supporting the creation of standards and
recommended practices in the area of software
quality and testing
ā Giving new energy to the improvement of
software development and testing processes
ISTQBĀ® AWARD CRITERIA
88. 88ISTQBĀ® - February 2015
ā¢ 2014 ISTQBĀ® Award Winner: Capers
Jones
ā¢ 2013 ISTQBĀ® Award winner: Harry Sneed
ā¢ 2012 ISTQBĀ® Award winner: Dorothy Graham
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® Special Award for Lifelong Contribution to
Software Testing: Boris Beizer
(issued on 2012)
ISTQBĀ® AWARD WINNERS
89. 89ISTQBĀ® - February 2015
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® has created the āISTQBĀ® Conference Networkā to
promote the annual events around the world related to ISTQBĀ®
ā¢ These events have to:
ā Be focused on Testing and Quality
ā Be organized or recognized by an ISTQBĀ® Member Board or by
the ISTQBĀ® Marketing Working Group
ā¢ Recognition is based on the following criteria:
ā The event must have an open and public call for papers;
ā The selection of speeches must be performed by an independent
program committee composed by several people;
ā The conference should offer at least 20% discount on fees to
ISTQBĀ® Certificate Holders;
ā The program has to include at least one official ISTQBĀ® Speech,
which is the presentation of the ISTQBĀ® status, perspectives and
product portfolio made by an ISTQBĀ® representative or a
representative of the National Board of that region;
ā Companies that have subscribed to the Partner Program will
receive discounts for the participation of their employees; the
discounts will grow depending on the Partnership Level (Silver,
Gold, Platinum, Global)
ISTQBĀ® CONFERENCE NETWORK
90. 90ISTQBĀ® - February 2015
ā¢ ISTQBĀ® has created the āISTQBĀ® Web and Mobile Appsā
program in order to promote those applications that are based
on ISTQBĀ® referenced information.
ā¢ Any person or entity can apply to have an ISTQBĀ® recognized
Web & App and, before receiving the āISTQBĀ® Web and Mobile
Appsā logo, the Web/ App will be reviewed by the ISTQBĀ® that
will check the following criteria (all of them are mandatory):
ā The Web / App shall have a reference to the ISTQBĀ® website as well
as all to the ISTQBĀ® social media
ā If the Web / App makes usage of ISTQBĀ® publicly available info (e.g.:
glossary, syllabi) the provider shall keep them aligned with the latest
official version issued by ISTQBĀ® (for the English version) or by the
ISTQBĀ® Member Boards (in case of local translations)
ā The Web /App shall not reference to any scheme competitive to
ISTQBĀ®
ā The App must be available for download free of charge
ā The Web / App shall have at least one English version
ā¢ The Web / App can use the specific āISTQBĀ® Web and Mobile
Appsā logo that will be provided after successful validation; it
cannot use any other ISTQBĀ® logos, unless specifically agreed
and approved by ISTQBĀ®
ISTQBĀ® WEB & MOBILE APPS RECOGNITION
91. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 91
ISTQBĀ® NEXT STEPS
1 Introduction to ISTQBĀ®
2
Exams
3
Benefits
4
Syllabi
5 ISTQBĀ®: Worldwide Footprint
6 ISTQBĀ® Partner Program
7 Special Initiatives
8 ISTQBĀ® Next Steps
9 Contacts
92. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 92
TOPICS FOR THE FUTURE - SURVEY
ā¢ Please select at least 3 topics that you would like ISTQBĀ® to address in the future
93. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 93
ISTQBĀ® NEXT STEPS
Market roll-
out
Agile
Expert
New Boards joining
New Surveys and
initiatives
New Syllabi &
Exams
Model Based Testing
Expert - Security
Testing
Usability Testing
Further topics
undergoing definition
Maintenance
& Evolution
Glossary
Foundation
Advanced
94. ISTQBĀ® - February 2015 94
CONTACTS
1 Introduction to ISTQBĀ®
2
Exams
3
Benefits
4
Syllabi and Extensions
5 ISTQBĀ®: Worldwide Footprint
6 ISTQBĀ® Partner Program
7 Special Initiatives
8 ISTQBĀ® Next Steps
9 Contacts